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Purveyors of indolent platypae…..

Hajime…. Most days like today, I’d be rushing, typing like mad to get done. Not today. I am serene, in spite of my lateness, for I finally slept well for a night. Yay, me. Crowing over, and, having enjoyed the use of a weapon I thought I had misplaced (Sleep is a weapon, you know….), I greet the day with aplomb, if not joy. Even Leelu is being patient with me, sensing, perhaps, my serenity…. Well, perhaps, contentment is closer than serenity, but, I’m sure y’all know what I mean…. and, who cares, anyway? Not me….

Even though I’m not in a hurry, I’ll be nice, & cut this down to workable size this morning, by taking our leave right here and now. Some day, y’all will thank me, I’m sure. For now, let it be enough to know it won’t hurt, particularly, unless, of course, you fight against the restraints. Everybody set? Got your favorite adult beverage at hand? Okay…. let’s do this, before we lose our nerve….

Shall we Pearl?….

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”

I don’t feel like ranting this morning, as I feel so energized…. Plus, I am saving up all my angst to take with me on Monday, when I go to deal with one of our corporate terrorist organizations, to wit: PG&E, the energy giant. I have a few things to dump on them, so, I want there to be plenty of emotional pressure built up; I’m planning on blasting them good and proper…. So, here is a somewhat philosophical discussion from the archives, which will keep me from working myself into a dither while proofing it for consumption today…. Enjoy, ffolkes….

From 10/29/2012:

“It is a misconception that spirituality brings everlasting happiness. There is no such thing. Sadness still comes to the wise, but, unlike most people, their clarity of mind allows them to see beyond the temporal emotionalism of the moment. They are farseeing, and so happiness and sorrow become the same to them.” — Deng Ming-Dao

This is a very subtle and difficult concept for anyone, of Western or Eastern orientation to reality, to fully understand, and even harder to put into action in everyday life…. It is also an idea I’m not sure I can completely hold to be true, in one sense at least. I can see how learning to accept both happiness and sorrow as being equal in value, in terms of how reality is structured is important to understanding. The very fact that we perceive them as opposites reflects our way of seeing the universe, as a dichotomy, with each characteristic balanced by its spiritual opposite, its mirror image, as it were; it follows that being able to recognize this without experiencing any discomfort or imbalance would be a valuable approach.

But, I cannot say that they are the same to me, for as a human, it is part of my nature to “like” the happiness, and “dislike” the sorrow; as people, we are going to have an emotional reaction to what we perceive, regardless of any other factors. It seems to me that the lesson to be learned, then, is to not allow our emotional preferences to influence our inner state, beyond the state of acknowledging it. Our task then becomes to learn to accept it, and appreciate it for its place in reality, without letting our feelings about that place bring us to imbalance within our own spirit…. As I said, subtle and difficult, and more easily said than done, to be sure…..

The events surrounding this morning’s Pearl, as outlined in the intro, serve well to demonstrate how this principle can be useful to us in a very real sense….. I am unbalanced this morning, with my physical being complaining in no uncertain terms that it is displeased with the current state of my diet. This imbalance takes the form of severe discomfort, with some pain located in specific areas of concern. In addressing how I would deal with the feelings it generates, in the above section, it could be said that I was attempting to see past the event itself, into the meaning of it. This encourages some distance between the mind, and the actual events, and consequently, some distance from the feelings. With the sense of panic that accompanies such feelings abated, it is possible to adjust one’s attention to other places in the mind, and the imbalance of the negative feelings is brought back into proper alignment….

As with most types of pain, the feelings we have in reaction make the pain worse, if only by forcing our attention onto it. By creating some inner distance from those feelings, we take control of our attention, and by doing so, reduce the amount of pain/discomfort by a significant factor…. The pain doesn’t go away, but it is reduced enough so we can deal with it in a more productive fashion. It is by no means easy; the pain/discomfort doesn’t like giving up its position in the forefront of the mind’s attention. But, as can be seen by this very pearl, it can free us from the tyranny that our own bodies may try to impose upon us…. In a very real sense, learning this lesson, and how to apply it to the real world, can free our minds completely, to exist in a place where good and bad do not affect our inner balance….

“If you regard discomfort as a normal condition you are not likely to be troubled by want.” — Ieyasu’s maxims

This maxim points to one of the important attitudes one must cultivate, in order for this principle to work properly. It reminds me of the old story about the colonist and the Indian, walking through the forest in winter, sometime in the late 1600’s. The colonist is fully dressed against the cold in leathers, sweaters, jackets, furs, boots, and full beard; the Indian is in moccasins, breech cloth, and skin, despite the snow all around. The colonist says to the Indian, “Aren’t you cold?” The Indian asks in return, “Is your face cold?” “Well, yeah, but I’m used to that,” is the reply….. The Indian just smiles, and says, “Me all face….”

Put most simply, it’s all in what you are used to…. So, get used to learning to adjust your own mind, teaching it to control its reaction to events of all types, rather than letting the world, and its unwelcome events, adjust it for you….. Me, I’d hate to have the words “willy nilly” apply to me in ANY respect….. I prefer having some say in the matter…. and I’ll tell you, it has been an invaluable tool this morning, else there would be no Pearl today…..

And if I laugh at any mortal thing,‘T is that I may not weep.
~~ Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto iv, Stanza 4 ~~

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Unsolicited Gratitude

Fear becomes familiar when reality bodes us illpain assumes first position, no matter our will.Powerless, we founder, no strength to prevailanguished and afraid, against unwanted Fate we rail.

Still, a grain of hope deep inside, hidden well against needgives us reason to survive, our starving souls to feed.Failure of courage burdens time, of being bested,until our souls, in submission, become foully infested.

Bitter tears wash through us each day, with little care,no thought, no feeling, no wish, or need to be fair.Rendered clueless, confusion falls upon us, as prey,we surrender a piece of our soul, little as we may.

Yet, always, a bright beam of hope is seen from afar,no matter how dreary, or dark, it may seem where we are.None knows, nor would consent to tell, it seemsfrom whence it hails, or why it so brightly gleams.

Saving our sanity, absolving our unwanted fears,dispelling the myths and lies that come with the years.Each man has known the precious gift that hope may giveAnd gives glad thanks, as long as he may live.

~~ gigoid ~~

10/10/2012

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Still More Naked Pearls

What’s Important?

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“Learning isn’t a means to an end; it is an end in itself.”

~~ Robert A. Heinlein ~~

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“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer.Fear is the little death that brings total oblivion.I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me and through meand turn my inner eye to follow its path.When the fear is gone, there will be nothing.Only I will remain.”

~~ The Litany Against Fear, Frank Herbert, “Dune”, 1965 ~~

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“Being good at being stupid doesn’t count.”

~~ Realist Bee ~~

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“…the path without a Heart will turn against men and destroy them.It does not take much to die,and to seek death and to seek nothing.”

~~ Carlos Castaneda, “The Teachings of Don Juan” ~~

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“The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.”

~~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ~~

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“Always do what you are afraid to do.”

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~~

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“To a rational being it is the same thingto act according to nature and according to reason.”

~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, vii, 11 ~~

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“Clay is moulded to make a vessel,but the utility of the vessellies in the space where there is nothing.Thus, taking advantage of what is,we recognize the utility of what is not.”

~~ Lao Tzu ~~

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Not chaos-like together crush’d and bruis’d,But as the world, harmoniously confus’d,Where order in variety we see,And where, though all things differ, all agree.

~~ Alexander Pope, Windsor Forest, Line 13 ~~

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I’m not sure why, but, some days, like today, when I’m done, I feel like jumping up, kicking my heels, and sitting back down. I don’t, of course, do that, simply because I’d be liable to end up on my face, unconscious from the fall. Ah well, I’ll just consider it as done, & save myself the trip to the ER. I’ll also end this here, and now, to save y’all from further mental bludgeoning, which I know this resembles far too often. C’est la fucking vie, as we say around here. I’ll see y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, unless somebody catches me…..

Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you;Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richyand everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.When I sits, I sits loose.When I thinks, I falls asleep.

10 thoughts on “Purveyors of indolent platypae…..”

I think I see who is in control in your crib…..she looks like the queen of the throne…..a good night sleep is a marvelous thing…I just wish I could have one….as always enjoyed the post….have a good day my friend…..chuq

She’s pretty casual at times, but usually is tough to catch sitting still enough for good focus…. and, like the cat in your .gif, all cats assume the shape of the available space…. sometimes there’s a little left over….

i never kNew beauty sad
until i could shed
no tears
of any
kind..
and then i found
the strength of Atlas
in one tear that finAlly
made weak
legs strong..
a death now..
made a tear
a dear cat..
then.. a tear
now made a
human again..
if only for a moment
and the tear birthed
the first spark of hope
in five years.. truly the
first flame to rise up
from five years
of Ashes
later
in July
of that 2013 year..
so.. sure the story of the
strength of sorrow and joy
inspires me certainly and
bRinGs that strength
even greater
in the
present of
now by reinforcing
it again and again through
the art of fingers in song
of creativity iN
Poetry..
and later
dance again..
until ever cell in my
body receives joy in
sure.. neurochemical
receptor way
throughout
my body..
in this greater way of understanding
how dArk and LiGht work for joy
and hope.. as well as challenge..
it is great to know and feel
that the UniVerse as is
innate iN uS.. iS aS
merciful to allow
a tear
and
sMiLe.. do
i need to
know
this..
not..
reAlly.. i feel
therefore.. i
F E E L..:)

You’re living proof, my friend, of the balance of light and dark in us, and, everything… I have always felt one could only feel as much joy as they had felt the opposite, pain; this was borne out by my experience, and you continue to provide evidence every step you dance….

Good morrow…. In sooth, it hasn’t been all that good ’round here; woke up late, having tired myself with some extended walking, only to find my head filled with a cacophony of screaming demons. Attempting to drown them out by focusing didn’t help, as SB is apparently on strike for today. Rather than battle these particular demons on their ground, I’m fading back ten yards, & punting…. Here’s a Pearl from about a year & a half ago, that came out fairly well, due to adding a rant from the past…. and, it will all do just fine for today’s purpose, to get me outta here with skepticism intact, so I can use it to battle these demons… I hope to be back tomorrow…. but, then, I also hope humanity will wake the fuck up & try to save its sorry ass. Odds on both of those are running a bit random, & are not currently a good bet…. but, we’ll see, won’t we? Take care, & stay alert, ffolkes….